Untitled Taishirou
by Pilot02
Summary: Something's bothering Koushirou -- But what? [ Yaoi | Taishirou ]
1. 01

  
"I'm sitting here in the cafeteria, barely halfway through one of the worst school days of my life thus far, preparing to eat the dumpster rejected substance which the administrators are attempting to pass off as food, and then I will be subjected to three more hours of academic classes which I have no interest in whatsoever... I think I have a right to be glaring, whether it be at you, her, the principal, or this lumpy stuff on my plate!"  
  
"Calm down, Kou! What's got you so upset?" Sora asked, sitting across from a very visibly upset Koushirou. His face was more pale than usual, and he clenched his spork tightly in his hand. He took several deep breaths and shook his head.   
  
"It's nothing--sorry I lashed out at you like that. It was illogical and you didn't deserve it," he said, the tone of his voice subdued and quiet as he resumed poking at his 'food' with his spork.   
  
Sora glanced over to Jyou, who shrugged, and Miyako, who looked curious.   
  
"C'mon, we're all friends here--you can tell us, Kou," Miyako said, leaning over the table.   
  
"I said it was nothing, Miyako. It's nothing I can't handle," Koushirou said, not looking up from his plate, where he was busily mutilating the 'food.'  
  
"But, you admit that there /is/ something, because you said you can handle it. So, I ask out of genuine concern, and not a need for gossip, what's up?"   
  
Koushirou stood up and gathered his things, then turned to Jyou, who had spoken last, and glared. "I can handle it," he said, then walked out of the cafeteria.   
  
Back at the table, a pin could be heard dropping as they shared confused glances. What was wrong with Koushirou?   
  
The occupants of the table were still in this state of semi shock when Taichi walked up, tray in hand. "Where's 'Shirou?" he asked as he sat in an empty chair.   
  
"He... left." Sora answered after an awkward silence.   
  
"Well, where'd he go?" Tai asked in between bites. He, unlike Koushirou, had no problems with eating the mystery 'food' product of the day.  
  
"Out of here's all we know," Miyako put in.  
  
"Why'd he leave?" Tai asked, a little agitated as he was beginning to think he was an unwilling participant in 20 questions. He'd always hated that game.  
  
This time Jyou answered, wording his sentence carefully. "It must have been us asking him what was wrong--he was upset but wouldn't tell us why."  
  
Tai stopped eating and looked first worried, then angry. "You should know by now that you can't bug him like that! He'll talk when he's ready, but before that you just piss him off!" The anger was evident in the brunette's words.  
  
Jyou flinched, and they all averted their gazes, ashamed of what they had apparently done. Taichi sighed and buried his face in his hands. "This'll sound really clichéd," he mumbled through his hands, "but which way did he go?"   
  
Three hands wordlessly pointed the southern exit, and within twenty seconds Tai was out of sight.  
  
Yamato walked up and seated himself in Tai's recently vacated seat, looking at the south doors with an odd look on his face. "Did I miss something, here?"   
  
"We all must have, Yama," Sora answered, rubbing her temples wearily. This was going to be a long week.   
  
* * *  
  
"Hey, did Koushirou pass by here?"  
  
"Yeah, not too long ago. He seemed to be heading toward the courtyard," Daisuke answered, keeping in his mild curiosity as to why Tai was acting like a mad man running around trying to find the red headed computer genius.   
  
"The computer lab is also in that direction." Ken had walked up in time to hear the information Daisuke had given. "As is the library; you may want to look there as well, if he's not anywhere else you look," Ken said, then turned to Daisuke and smiled. "Come on, let's find Takeru and eat before all the food's gone."  
  
Daisuke returned the soft smile and waved goodbye to Taichi. "Good luck!" he shouted down the hallway at Tai, who had proceeded onward once it was apparent that the other boys were not going to provide him with any more information.   
  
The first suggested search area that he came across was the library. He ran through the doors, his eyes searching out the bright red hair of his friend. He didn't see it, but just to be sure, he decided to ask. "Koushirou here?" A few students shook their heads, so Tai returned to the hallway, running to the computer lab.   
  
It was empty and the doors were locked, so he ran to the courtyard. "'Shirou?" he asked, walking through the door.   
  
"What?" came the subdued sounding reply.   
  
"Hey," Tai said, walking over to where his friend sat on a large rock. "What's up? Sora, Miya, and Jyou said you were upset and ran off. So, spill." Tai sat next to Koushirou on the rock as the younger boy shook his head and looked away.  
  
"Come on Kou, don't be like that. Whatever it is, you can tell me."   
  
Another shake of the head.  
  
"Tai, I'd rather not talk about it, okay? I can take care of myself just fine."  
  
"Look 'Shirou, I care about you -- a lot -- and I don't like seeing you like this." Tai looked away, speaking softly. "If something's up and you don't feel you can talk to me, then talk to someone else. I want to help, but I can't if you don't let me." At this point, he sighed and drew his knees up to his chest, balancing precariously on the rock.   
  
Koushirou looked at Tai and almost hesitantly reached his hand out to turn Tai's head toward him. "Thank you Tai," he said, a little of his normal demeanor showing.   
  
"No big deal, 'Shirou. It's what friends are for, after all." Tai held his hand out in a typical handshake gesture. "Friends?"  
  
Koushirou nodded and shook the hand in front of him. "Definitely, Tai. Friends." Giving in to sudden impulse, he pulled Tai into a hug that caught him by surprise, nearly costing him his perch on the rock. Luckily, he recovered balance and returned the hug with enthusiasm equal to that of Koushirou's.   
  
Tai laughed as they separated. "Well, had I just known you only needed a hug," he said while tousling Koushirou's hair.  
  
Koushirou grinned and swatted playfully at Tai's hand, muttering about psychotic bullying kids, then got off the rock to pick his book bag up. "Come on, Tai, let's go back inside."  
  
Tai nodded and jumped off the rock, pausing to get his own bag before following the redhead into the school.   
  
Soon after entering the school, the bell rang, causing the two boys to part ways to get to their classes.  
  
* * *  
  



	2. 02

  
"Hey Tai!" Daisuke called out on the way to PE class, the second class period after lunch. Tai, Koushirou, Ken, Takeru and himself were in the same PE class.   
  
"Hey, Dai," Tai said, looking at Daisuke. He grinned suddenly, and then spoke again. "So, I heard that two students were caught kissing in the back stairwell last hour... You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you, Dai?"  
  
"Well, it wasn't me," Daisuke said thoughtfully, then grinned. "Ken and Takeru cut through there... was it them?"  
  
Tai smiled secretly. "Well, you may want to ask them, Dai."  
  
"It was, wasn't it?!" Daisuke shook his head and pretended to be upset. "I feel so neglected!"  
  
"Don't worry -- you can have them pay you back later, you know." Tai grinned as Daisuke rolled his eyes.   
  
"You, Taichi, are very odd. You've got more interest in my love life than you do your own... or rather, your lack of one."  
  
"Hey, lay off, Dai," Tai said, shaking his head and grinning secretly.   
  
"Well, you know it's true..." Daisuke trailed off suddenly. Koushirou had walked into the hallway, and Tai had gotten the oddest look on his face. "Oh, I see now."  
  
"See what, Dai?" Asked Koushirou as he fell into step beside Tai.  
  
Daisuke grinned and Tai looked a bit scared. "Why Tai's always poking fun at my love life. It's 'cause he has none of his own," he said in a matter of fact tone.   
  
"Ah, it's all so clear now!" Koushirou jokingly replied, grinning. "You know, Tai, now that he's figured out your secret, he's never going to let you forget it. He'll tease you mercilessly, day and night, and I might just help him." He poked Tai as he said the last few words, causing Tai to blush, though faintly.   
  
"Dai! Wait up!" As his name was called, he turned to see a flustered Takeru dragging a slightly upset Ken down the hallway. Dai grinned and did what was asked of him, though Taichi and Koushirou went on ahead.   
  
When they had caught up, Ken looked at Daisuke and then glared at Takeru.   
  
"What's up, Ken?" Daisuke asked softly, pulling the other boy into a hug. Takeru stood on the side, looking a bit uneasy.  
  
"Takeru decided it would be a good idea to kiss me right in front of the principal -- now we have detention tomorrow."  
  
Daisuke rolled his eyes at Takeru and spoke. "Was it worth it?"  
  
Takeru looked at Ken and nodded sadly. "I thought it was."  
  
Hearing the tone of Takeru's voice, Ken turned to face him, pulling out of Daisuke's embrace. "I'm sorry, Takeru -- it's just that this will be my first detention, but you're right. It was worth it." He grinned slightly as Takeru's expression lightened up while he was talking. He stepped toward the blonde and kissed him softly, the other boy returning the kiss happily.  
  
"You should've seen the look on his face, Dai!" Takeru said, grinning, after breaking the kiss.   
  
Daisuke rolled his eyes and then pouted. "You guys are making me feel so unwanted!"  
  
Ken took pity on him and kissed him -- hard -- leaving Daisuke grinning happily with kiss-bruised lips.   
  
"Hey, guys, you're going to be late if you don't hurry up!" Tai yelled from the end of the hall, then he and Koushirou disappeared into the locker room.   
  
Takeru dragged Ken and Daisuke down the hall and into the locker room, from which all five emerged several minutes later.   
  
* * *  
  
In gym, the routine was the same as always. Attendance was taken, stretches were done, and then everyone split up to play various athletic games. Takeru and Ken strayed over to the basketball hoops, while Koushirou, Tai, and Daisuke found themselves in the middle of a soccer game.   
  
Taichi had been teaching Koushirou how to play soccer over the past few weeks, so they stayed together. Tai passed the ball to Koushirou, who was in the process of kicking it to another player when he was slide tackled. Tai had been coming closer and so ended up under Koushirou when he landed.   
  
There was a collective silence after a loud crack, and everyone held their breaths. They all knew Tai's temper and his protectiveness of his friend. Koushirou's eyes were open as wide as they could be, and his breathing was sounding strained. Tai looked up at him in worry. "Kou?"  
  
"... ow..." he answered, blinking rapidly. Immediately following this, everyone around the two fallen boys voiced their concern. The first and most concerned of them all was Tai, of course.  
  
"'Shirou, you okay?"  
  
"No... My arm..." Koushirou managed to say, closing his eyes tightly against the pain.   
  
The gym teacher came over and carefully helped Koushirou to stand, then left with him to go to the nurse's office. Tai, as soon as they were gone, glared at the kid standing nervously at the edge of the crowd. He walked over to the kid, Hitoshi -- he was on the soccer team, Tai remembered -- with deliberate steps.   
  
"Um, Tai-kun, you know I didn't mean it, um, it was totally an accident!" Hitoshi, seeing that this line of reasoning was not helping, started on a different track. "I mistook him for another player on our team, you see, Tai, so--"  
  
"You know just as well as anyone else here that he's the only redhead in the class. If it really was an accident, then you would have just ran into him, not tackle him like that. If you had mistook him for another player, then it was not accidental, now was it?" Tai's voice was calm and dead serious; his face mirroring the tone.   
  
Hitoshi glanced wildly around, his eyes begging for assistance. No one dared step forward; they had seen what happened, and knew he was at fault. Besides, no one wanted to cross Tai.   
  
Tai started walking forward and Hitoshi stepped backward, matching Tai step for step until he found himself against the wall.  
  
"You," Tai said, still advancing toward the other boy, his stride purposeful. "You will /never/ do that again. You will never mess with me or my friends."  
  
Barely breathing, Hitoshi gulped in fear. He nodded, hoping absurdly that he could make it though this unharmed by agreeing to the terms.   
  
A loud smack changed his mind as Tai punched him, and he clutched his bloody -- and likely broken -- nose.   
  
"You'd better get that looked at. Those soccer balls are a pain to be hit with, don't you think?"  
  
Hitoshi nodded and ran out of the room, hearing applause and congratulations as he left.  
  
* * * 


End file.
